“You should see him chopping vegetables,” Samuel said. “His speed is impressive. I would chop off my fingers if I tried.”
She put her hand on his. “Another man, who went through what you did, would be full of anger and desire for revenge. Instead, you gave so many people hope.”
He stopped smiling. “What makes you think I’m not angry and resentful? I want to bring Murdock to justice, not just because it’s the right thing. I hate him for what he did to me, and I hate him even more for what he did to you.”
“But you think of others as well.”
“Because I know what they’re going through, and I have the means to help.”
She caressed his cheek. “You have a heart of gold.”
After dinner, when she went to her bedroom, she admitted to a quick flutter in her chest. Her wedding night. Would Samuel come?
Dobkins helped her out of her dinner gown and into her nightgown. “Tired, my lady?”
“Yes. I’m a bit…confused. Surprised. But in a good way. And I love the household. Everyone loves working for Samuel.”
Dobkins braided her hair. “Yes, but…”
“What?”
“It’s not my place, my lady.”
“Please tell me. Do you have problems with the people Samuel chose?”
“No.” Dobkins frowned, tying a ribbon at the end of Vivienne’s braid. “I’m worried about Dr. Tucker and what he might do. He’s a clever, resourceful, and conniving swindler. He must have set aside a small fortune in the past years. I don’t believe he’ll be brought to justice without a fight.”
“What do the servants have to do with that?”
“Well, with due respect, if someone sneaks into the house to attack us, their job would be easy. The butler won’t hear anything, the cook won’t see anything, William will loot the house and flee, and Samuel won’t be able to give the alarm if something happened.”
“Please don’t.”
“I apologise, my lady, and I mean no offence. I’m just worried.”
“I trust Samuel to keep us safe, and these people have done remarkably well without incidents so far, and Captain Jackson is a former soldier.”
“Yes, but ruthless men like Dr. Tucker won’t hesitate to hurt any of us, and many of us are quite vulnerable.”
That was true.
“I didn’t mean to upset you tonight, my lady.” Dobkins stoked the fire and drew the curtains. “But I confess I won’t sleep well at night here. Do you need anything else?”
“No, goodnight.” Vivienne slid under the covers once alone.
Dobkins was exaggerating. Why would Dr. Tucker attack them in their sleep? A confidence man wasn’t necessarily amurderer, and he might just flee London if the police charged him. And she trusted Samuel.
The cosy room and the soft bedsheets, heated by the bed warmer, lulled her to sleep. But she sat bolt upright when the door to Samuel’s bedroom inched open and he walked inside.
“Did I wake you up?” He was carrying a single large lily with dark blue petals tipped with yellow.
“I dozed off.”
“My apologies.” He put the lily on her nightstand, flashing a charming smile. “For you.”
“It is beautiful. Thank you.” She touched the velvety petals. “What is it?”
“A lion-heart lily, a species from East Asia.” He flashed a boyish smile. “I was lucky to find them in London.”
